Navigation Spiritualized, Dedication 2 – Publishers advertisement 1
To every Sea-man Sailing Heavenward.
Ingenious Sea-man,
THE Art of Navigation, by which Islands especially are enriched, and preserved in safety from Forensical Invasions; and the wonderful Works of God in the great Deep, and Foreign Nations are most delightfully and fully beheld, &c. is an Art of exquisite excellency, ingenuity, rarity, and mirability: But the Art of Spiritual Navigation is the Art of Arts. It is a gallant thing to be able to carry a Ship richly laden round the World: but it is much more gallant to carry a Soul (that rich loading, a Pearl of more worth than all the Merchandise of the world) in a body (that is liable to leaks and bruises as any Ship is) through the Sea of this World (which is as unstable as water, and hath the same brinish taste and salt gust which the waters of the Sea have) safe to Heaven (the best Haven) so as to avoid splitting upon any Soulsinking Rocks, or striking upon any Soul-drowning Sands. The Art of Natural Navigation is a very great mystery; but the Art of Spiritual Navigation is by much a greater mystory. Humane wisdom may teach us to carry a Ship to the Indies; but the Wisdom only that is from above can teach us to steer our course aright to the Haven of Happiness. This Art is purely of Divine Revelation. The truth is, Divinity (the Doctrine of living to God) is nothing else, but the Art of Soul-Navigation, revealed from Heaven. A meer man can carry a Ship to any desired Port in all the World, but no meer man can carry a Soul to Heaven. He must be a Saint, he must be a Divine (so all Saints are) that can be a Pilot to carry a Soul to the fair Haven in Emanuel's land. The Art of Natural Navigation is wonderfully improved since the coming of Christ, before which time (if there be truth in History) the use of the Loadstone was never known in the world; and before the vertue of that was revealed unto the Mariner, it is unspeakable with what uncertain wandrings Sea-men floated here and there, rather than sailed the right and direct way. Sure I am, the Art of Spiritual Navigation is wonderfully improved since the coming of Christ: it oweth its clearest and fullest discovery to the coming of Christ. This Art of Arts is now perfectly revealed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament; but the Rulers thereof are dispers'd up and down therein. The collecting and methodizing of the same, cannot but be a work very useful unto Souls: Though when all is done, there is an absolute necessity of the teachings of the Spirit, and of the anointing that is from above, to make Souls Artists in sailing Heavenward. The Ingenious Author of the Christians Compass, or the Marriners Companion, makes three Parts of this Art (as the School-men of Divinity,) viz. Speculative, Practical, and Affectionate. The principal things necessary to be known by a Spiritual Sea-man, in order to the steering rightly and safely to the Port of Happiness, he reduceth to four Heads, answerable to the four general Points of the Compass; making God our North; Christ our East; Holiness our South; and Death our West Points. Concerning God, we must know, 1. That he is, Heb. 11. 6. and that there is but one God, 1 Cor. 8. 5, 6. 2. That this God is that Supreme Good, in the enjoyment of whom all true happiness lies, Psal. 4. 6, 7. Mat. 5. 8.—18. 20. 3. That (Life eternal lying in God, and he being incomprehensible and unconceivable in Essence, as being a Spirit) our best way to eye him is in his Attributes, Exod. 34. 5, 6, 7. and works, Rom. 1. 20. and especially in his Son, 2 Cor. 4. 6. 4. That as God is a Spirit, so our chiefest, yea only way of knowing, enjoying, serving, and walking with him, is in the Spirit likewise, Ioh. 4. 24. Concerning Christ, we must know, 1. That he is the true Sun which ariseth upon the World, by which all are enlightned, Iohn 1. 9. Mal. 3. 2. Luke 1. 78, 79. 2. That God alone is in him, reconciling himself to the World, 2 Cor. 5. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Iohn 14. 6. 3. That Jesus Christ is only made ours by the union and in-dwelling of himself in us through the spirit, 1 Cor. 2. 9, 10. and 6. 17. Ioh. 16. 8, 9. 1 Cor. 12. 3. 13. 4. That the way of the spirits uniting us to Christ, is by an act of Power on his part, and by an act of Faith on our parts, Iohn 3. 16. last 5. 29. Eph. 3. 17. Concerning Holiness, we must know, 1. That whoever is in Christ is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 6. 11. 2. Holiness is the Souls highest lustre, Exod. 15. 11. when we come to perfection in Holiness, then is our Sun at the height in us. 3. Holiness, is Christ filling the Soul; Christ our Sun is at highest in our hearts, when they are most holy. 4. This Holiness is that which is directly opposite to sin: sin eclipses holiness, and holiness scatters sin, Heb. 7. 26. Phil. 2. 15. 2 Pet. 3. 11. Concerning Death, we must know, 1. Death is certain: the Sun of our Life will set in Death: when our days come about to this Westernpoint, it will be night, Heb. 9. 27. Psal. 49. 7, 9. 2. If we die in our sins out of Christ, we are undone for ever, Iob 8. 24. Phil. 1. 21. 3. It is our benighting to die, but it's not our annihilating, 1 Cor. 15. Rev. 20. 12. 4. After Death comes Judgment; all that die shall arise to be judged, either for life or death the second time, Heb. 9. 27. Mat. 25. Heb. 6. 2. These four heads, and the particulars under them are as necessary to be known in Spiritual Navigation, as the four Points of the Compass are in Natural Navigation. The things which we ought to do, in order to our arrival to our Happiness, our Author makes as many as there be Points in the Compass. And for an help to memory, we may begin every particular with initial known Letters on the Points of the Compass. 1. N. Never stir or steer any course, but by …ight from God, Psal. 119. 105. Isa. 8. 10. 2. N. and by E. Never Enter upon any Design, but such as tends towards Christ, Act. 10. 43. 3. N. N. E. Note Nothing Enviously, which thrives without God, Psal. 73. 12, 13. 4. N. E. and by N. Never Enterprize Not-warrantable courses, to procure any the most prized or conceited advantages, 1. Tim. 6. 9, 10. 5. N. N. E. Now Entertain the sacred Commands of God, if hereafter thou expect the soveraign consolations of God, Psal. 119. 48. 6. N.E. and by E. Never Esteem Egypt's Treasures so much, as for them to forsake the People of God, Heb. 11. 26. 7. E. N. E. Err not, Especially in soul-affairs, Ia. 1. 16. 1 Tim. 1. 19, 20. 2 Tim. 2. 18. 8. E. and by N. Eschew Nothing but sin, 1 Pet. 3. 11. Iob 1. 7, 8-31. 34. 9. E. Establish thy heart with grace, Heb. 13. 9. 10. E. and by S. Eye Sanctity in every action, 1 Pet. 1. 15. Zech. 14. 29. 11. E. S. E. Ever Strive Earnestly to live under, and to improve the means of Grace. 12. S.E. and by E. Suffer Every Evil of punishment of sorrow, rather than leave the ways of Christ and Grace. 13. S.E. Sigh Earnestly for more enjoyments of Christ. 14. S.E. and by S. Seek Evermore some Evidences of Christ in you the hope of glory. 15. S.S.E. Still Set Eternity before you, in regard of enjoying Jesus Christ, Ioh. 17. 24. 16. S. and by E. Settle't Ever in your soul, as a principle which you will never depart from, that holiness and true happiness are in Christ and by Christ. 17. S. Set thy self always as before the Lord, Psal. 16. 8. Acts 2. 25. 18. S and by W. See Weakness hastning thee to death, even when thou art at the highest pitch or point. 19. S. S. W. See Sin Which is the sting of Death, as taken away by Christ, 1 Cor. 15. 55, 56. 20. S.W. and by S. Store up Wisely Some provisions every day for your dying day. 21. S.W. Set Worldly things under your feet, before death come to look you in the face. 22. S.W. and by W. Still Weigh and Watch with loins girded and lamps trimmed, Luk. 12. 35, 36, 37. 23. W. S. W. Weigh Soul-Works, and all in the ballance of the Sanctuary. 24. W. and by S. Walk in Sweet communion with Christ here, and so thou maist die in peace, Luk. 2. 29. 25. W. Whatsoever thy condition be in this world, eye God as the disposer of it, and therein be contented, Phil. 4. 11. 26. W. and by N. Walk Not according to the course of the most, but after the example of the best. 27. W.N. W. Weigh Not What men speak or think of thee, so God approve thee, 2 Chro. 10. 18. Rom. 2. 28, 29. 28. N. W. and by W. Never Wink at, but Watch against small sins, nor neglect little duties, Eph. 5. 15. 29. N.W. Never Wish rashly for death, nor love life too inordinately, Iob 3. 4. 30. N. W. and by N. Now Work Nimbly ere night come, Ioh. 12. 35, 36. Eceles. 9. 10. 31. N. N. W. Name Nothing When thou pleadest with God for thy Soul, but Christ and Free-grace, Dan. 9. 17. 32. N. and by W. Now Welcome Christ, if at death thou wilt be welcomed by Christ. A tender, quick, enlivened, and enlightened Conscience, is the only Point upon which we must erect these Practical Rules of our Christian Compass, Heb. 13. 1. 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our Memory, that is the Box in which this Compass must be kept, in which these Rules must be treasured, that we may be as ready and expert in them, as the Marriner is in his Sea-compass. So much for the speculative and practical parts of the Art of Soul-Spiritual-Navigation. The Affectionate part doth principally lie in the secret motions or movings of the Soul towards God, in the Affections which are raised and warmed, and especially appear active in Meditation: Meditation being as it were the Limbeck or Still in which the Affections heat and melt, and as it were drop sweet spiritual Waters. The affectionate Author of the Christians Compass doth indeed, in the third and last part of his Undertaking, hint at several Meditations which the spiritual Seaman is to be acquainted with, unto which thou hast an excellent Supplement in this New Compass for Seamen. This Collection is prefixt, that at once thou mayest view all the Compasses (both the Speculative, Practical, and Affectionate) by which thou must steer Heaven-ward. What further shall be added by way of Pre…e, is not to commend this New Compass, which indeed (2 Cor. 3. 1.) needs no foreign, Letters of Commendation, or any Panegyrick to usher it into any honest heart: but to stir up all, especially Sea-men, to make conscience of using such choice helps for the promoting the sanctification and salvation of their Souls, for the making of them as dexterous in the Art of Spiritual Navigation, as any of them are in the Art of Natural Navigation, Consider therefore.
1. What rich Merchandize thy Soul is. Christ assures us, one Soul is more worth than all the world. The Lord Iesus doth as it were put the whole world in one scale, and one soul in the other, and the world is found too light, Mat. 16. 26. Shouldst thou by skill in Natural Navigation carry safe all the treasures of the Indies into thine own Port, yea, gain the whole world, and for want of skill in spiritual Navigation lose thy soul, thou wouldst be the greatest loser in the world. So far wilt thou be from profiting by any of thy Sea-voyages. There is a plain foreign in those words of Christ, What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? More is meant, than is spoken.
2. What a leaking Vessel thy body is in which this unspeakable inconceivable rich Treasure,Erasmi Chiliad, p. 299. thy soul, is embarked! O the many diseases and distempers in the humors and passions,The smallest Pore is a Leak wide enough to let in Death, and sink thy Vessel. that thy body is subject to! It is above 2000 years ago, that there have been rekoned up 300 Names of Diseases; and there be many under one name, and many nameless, which pose the Physicians not only how to cure them, but how to call them. And for the affections and passions of the Mind, the distempers of them are no less deadly to some, than the diseases of the body. But besides these internal causes, there are many external causes of Leaks in this Vessel, as*In Nubia, quae est Aethiopia, venenum est cu…us grani unias decima pars …ominem, vel unum granum decem homines, Dan, Senert. Hypom. Phys. Cap. 2. p. 47. poisonous malignities, wrathful hostilities, and casual mishaps; very small matters may be of great moment to the sinking of this Vessel. The least Gnat in the Air may choak one, as it did Adrian, a Pope of Rome; a little hair in Milk may strangle one, as it did a Counsellor in Rome; a little stone of a Raisin may stop ones breath, as it did the Poetical Poet Anacreon. Thus you see what a leaking Vessel you sail in. Now the more leaky any ship is, the more need there is of skill to steer wisely.
3. Consider what a dangerous Sea the World is, in which thy Soul is to sail in the leaking ship of thy body. As there are not more changes in the Sea, than are in the World, the world being only constant in inconstancy, The fashion of this world passeth away, 1 Cor. 7. 31. so there are not more dangers in the Sea for ships, than there are in the world for souls. In this world Souls meet with Rocks and Sands, Syrens and Pyrates. Worldly Temptations, worldly Lusts, and worldly Company cause many to drown themselves in perdition, 1 Tim. 6. 9. The very things of this world endanger our Souls. By worldly Objects we soon grow worldly. It is hard to touch Pitch, and not be defiled. The lusts of this world stain our glory, and the men of t…is world pollute all they converse with. A man that keeps company with the men of this world, is like him that walketh in the Sun, tanned insensibly. Thus you have hinted the dangerousness of the Sea wherein you are to sail. Now, the more dangerous the Sea is, the more requisite it is the Sailer be an Artist.
4. Consider, what if through want of skill in the heavenly Art of spiritual Navigation, thou shouldst not steer thy C…rse aright! I will instance only in two consequents thereof. 1. Thou wilt never arrive at the Haven of Happiness. 2. Thou shalt be drowned in the Ocean of God's wrath. As true as the Word of God is true; as sure as the Heavens are over thy head, and the Earth under thy feet; as sure as thou yet livest and breathest in this Air: so true and certain it is, thou shalt never enter into Heaven, but sink into the depth of the bottomless pit. Am I not herein a Messenger of the saddest Tidings that ever yet thy Ears did hear? Possibly now thou makest a light matter of these things, because thou dost not know what it is to miss of Heaven, and what it is for ever to lie under the wrath of God: but hereafter thou wilt know fully, what it is to have thy Soul lost eternally, so lost, as that God's mercies, and all the good there is in Christ, shall never save it; and as God hath set and ordered things, can never save it. Hereafter thou wilt be perfectly sensible of the good that thou mightest have had, and of the evil that shall be upon thee (this is God's peculiar Prerogative, to make a Creature as sensible of Misery as he pleaseth,) then thou wilt have other thoughts of these things than now thou hast.Ignis Gehenne lucebit miseris, ut vi…eant unde… doleant. Insid. de sum. bon. l. 1. Then the thoughts of thy mind shall be busied about thy lost Condition, both as to the pain of loss, and the pain of sense; so that thou shalt not be able to take any ease any moment: then, that thy torments may be increased, they acknowledge, the truth of thy apprehensions, yea. the strength of them, shall be encreased; thou shalt have true and deep apprehensions of the greatness of that good that thou shalt miss of, and of that evil which thou shalt procure unto thy self; and then thou shalt not be able to choose, but to apply all thy loss, all thy misery to thy self, which will force thee to roar out, O my loss! O my misery! O my unconceivable unrecoverable loss and misery! Yea, for the increasing of thy torments, thy Affections and Memory shall be enlarged. O that, to prevent that lose and misery, these things may now be known and laid to heart! O that a blind Understanding, a stupid Judgment, a bribed Conscience, a hard Heart, a bad Memory, may no longer make Heaven and Hell to seem but trifles to thee! Thou wilt then easily be perswaded to make it thy main business here, to become an Artist in Spiritual Navigation. But to shut up this Preface, I shall briefly acquaint Sea-men, why they should, of all others, be Men of singular Piety and Heavenliness, and therefore more than ordinarily study the heavenly Art of Spiritual Navigation. O that Sea-men would therefore consider,
1: How nigh they border upon the Confines of Death and Eternity every moment. There is but a step, but an inch or two between them and their Graves continually. The next Gust may over-set them; the next Wave may swallow them up. In one place lies lurking dangerous Rocks, in another perilous Sands, and every-where stormy Winds, ready to destroy them. Well may the Sea-men cry out,Terror ubique tremor, timor un…e que & undique terrari. Ovi. Ego crastinum non habui: I have not had a Morrow in my hands these many Years. Should not they then be extraordinary serious and heavenly continually? Certainly (as the Reverend Author of this New Compass well observes) nothing more composeth the heart to such a frame, than the lively apprehensions of Eternity do; and none have greater external advantages for that, than Sea-men have.
2. Consider (Sea-men) what extraordinary help you have by the Book of the Creatures;Mundi creatio est Scriptur a Dei, Clemens. Vniversus mundus est D…us explicatus. the whole Creation is God's Voice, it is God's excellent Hand-writing, or the Sacred Scriptures of the Most High, to teach us much of God, and what reasons we have to bewail our Rebellion against God, and to make conscience of obeying God only, naturally and continually. The Heavens, the Earth, the Waters, are the three great Leaves of this Book of God, and all the Creatures are so many Lines in those Leaves. All that learn not to fear and serve God by the help of this Book, will be left inexcusable, Rom. 1. 20. How inexcusable then will ignorant and ungodly Sea-men be? Sea-men should, in this respect, be the best Scholars in the Lord's School, seeing they do more, than others, see the Works of the Lord, and his Wonders in the great Deep, Psal. 107. 24.
3. Consider how often you are nearer Heaven than any People in the World. They mount up to heaven, Psal. 107. 26. It has been said of an ungodly Minister, that contradicted his Preaching in his Life and Conversation, That it was pity he should e're come out of the Pulpit, because he was there as near Heaven as ever he would be. Shall it be said of you, upon the same account, That 'tis pi…y you should come down from the high-towring Waves of the Sea? Should not Sea-men, that in stormy Weather have their feet (as it were) upon the Battlements of Heaven, look down upon all earthly Happiness in this World but as base, waterish, and worthless? The great Cities of Campania seem but small Cottages to them that stand on the …lpes. Should not Sea-men, that so oft mount up to Heaven, make it their main business here, once at last to get into Heaven? What (Sea-men) shall you only go to Heaven against your Wills? When Seamen mount up to Heaven in a storm, the Psalmist tells us, That their souls are melted because of trouble. O that you were continually as unwilling to go to Hell, as you are in a storm to go to Heaven!
4. And lastly, Consider what engagements lie upon you to be singularly holy, from your singular deliverances and salvations. They that go down to the Sea in Ships, are sometimes in the Valley of the shadow of Death, by reason of the springing of perilous Leaks; and yet miraculously delivered, either by some wonderful stopping of the Leak, or by God's sending some Ship within their sight, when they have been far out of sight of any Land; or by his bringing their near-perishing Ship safe to shore. Sometimes they have been in very great danger of being taken by Pirates, yet wonderfully preserved, either by God's calming of the Winds in that part of the Sea where the Pirates have sail'd, or by giving the poor pursued Ship a strong gale of Wind to run away from their Pursuers; or by sinking the Pirates, &c. Sometimes their Ships have been cast away, and yet they themselves wonderfully got safe to shore upon Planks, Yards, Masts, &c. I might be endless in enumerating their Deliverances from Drowning, from Burning, from Slavery, &c. (Sure Sea-men) your extraordinary Salvations lay more than ordinary engagement upon you, to praise, love, fear, obey, and trust in your Saviour and Deliverer. I have read, that the enthralled Greeks were so affected with their Liberty, procured by Flaminius the Roman General, that their shrill Acclamations of foreign, A Saviour, a Saviour, made the very Birds fall down from the Heavens astonished. O how should Seamen be affected with their Sea-Deliverances! Many that have been deliver'd from Turkish Slavery, have vowed to be Servants to their Redeemers all the days of their Lives. Ah, Sirs, will not you be more than ordinarily God's Servants all the days of your Lives, seeing you have been so oft, so wonderfully r…deemed from Death it self by him? Verily, do what you can, you will die in God's Debt. As for me, God forbid, that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you, 1 Sam. 12. 23, 24. That by the perusal of this short and sweet Treatise, wherein the jucicious and ingenious Author hath well mixed utile dulci, profit and pleasure, you may learn the good and right way, even to fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your hearts, considering how great things he hath done for you: This is the hearty Prayer of
Your Cordial Friend, earnestly desirous of a prosperous Voyage for your precious and immortal Souls, T.M.
The AUTHOR to the READER.
WHen Dewy-cheek'd Aurora doth display
Her Curtains, to let in the New-born Day,
Her heavenly Face looks Red, as if it were
Dy'd with a modest Blush, 'twixt Shame and Fear.
Sol makes her blush, suspecting that he will
Scorch some too much, and others leave to chill,
With such a Blush, my little New-born Book
Goes out of hand, suspecting some may look
VponUpon it with Contempt, while others raise
So mean a Peice too high, by flattering Praise.
Its Beauty cannot make its Father dote;
'Tis a poor Babe, clad in a Sea-green Coat.
Its gone from me too young, and now is run
To Sea, among the Tribe of Zebulun.
Go, Little Book, thou many Friends wilt find
Among that Tribe, who will be very kind;
And many of them Care of Thee will take,
Both for thy own, and for thy Father's sake.
Heav'n save it from the dang'rous Storms and Gusts.
That will be rais'd against it by Mens Lusts.
Guilt makes Men angry, Anger is a Storm;
But Sacred Truth's thy shelter, fear no harm.
On Times, or Persous, no Reflection's found;
Though with Reflections few Books more abound.
Go, Little Book, I have much more to say,
But Sea-men call for thee, thou must away.
Yet e're you have it, grant me One Request;
Pray do not keep it Prisoner in your Chest.
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